The present invention relates to a new and improved methodology for the transmission of facsimile messages.
Facsimile transmission has been well established and documented. In accordance with conventional technology, a facsimile apparatus, whether a stand-alone or dedicated unit or a personal computer configured with the capability of sending and receiving facsimile messages, is coupled to the telephone line. The entry of the telephone number associated with the recipient""s equipment, and the dialing thereof to initiate communication therewith, commences the exchange of so-called xe2x80x9chandshakexe2x80x9d data permitting the subsequent transfer of an electronic image of the desired information from the sender to the recipient""s apparatus. Because both the sender and the recipient""s apparatus are typically interfaced to public telephone systems, which are themselves capable of interconnection, worldwide facsimile transmission over such telephone systems is routine.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,743 there is disclosed methodology by which identification and routing data may be transmitted from the sender to the recipient as part of the handshake protocol to permit internal routing of the facsimile data. Such routing may be appropriate, for example, when the apparatus associated with the recipient""s telephone number is a local area network. Inclusion of such routing information permits the received facsimile to be subsequently transmitted, over the LAN, after initial reception to the intended recipient""s location.
Alternative methods also exist for the routing of facsimile data through a recipient network. For example, DID (Direct Inward Dialing) telephone systems allow a telephone number, associated with a group or block of numbers assigned to a particular location or entity, to be further associated with particular individual or location within the entity. An inward-bound facsimile call, directed by the recipient""s otherwise conventional DID telephone number, allows the facsimile to be directly received by a facsimile unit associated with that number.
Alternatively, a series of DTMF (Dual-Tone Multiple Frequency) signals may be entered by the sender after a primary conventional telephone number is dialed and a connection established with apparatus at the receiving number. The entry of such tones constitute a routing code recognized by equipment at the answering telephone number""s location which directs the call (or facsimile transmission) to the recipient or apparatus associated with the routing code.
All the foregoing methods, however, require the establishment of a direct primary telephone link between the sender and recipient. When the sender and recipients are geographically separated, the costs of establishing such a link over public commercial telephone lines and systems may be great.
In addition, such conventional technology requires that the facsimile data format be preserved throughout the transmission. A compatible facsimile unit must ultimately receive the transmitted data.
It is accordingly the purpose of the present invention to provide a methodology by which facsimile messages may be transmitted between a sender and a recipient in a manner which facilitates and economizes the use of such communication media over extended distances.
Yet a further purpose of the present invention is to provide a facsimile transmission methodology which is capable of utilizing the internet and other diverse communications media.
Still a further purpose of the present invention is to provide a facsimile transmission methodology which does not require a recipient facsimile unit to be compatible with that of the sending party.
In accordance with the foregoing and other objects and purposes, the present invention utilizes conventional telephone lines to transmit facsimile data inputted at the sender""s location to a local xe2x80x9cpoint of presencexe2x80x9d facility. The point of presence facility receives the facsimile data along with information identifying the address of the ultimate recipient. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9caddressxe2x80x9d means an identification of the recipient which can be accessed electronically for the xe2x80x9cdepositxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9clast mile deliveryxe2x80x9d of the transmission. An address may be a telephone number associated with a reception device, such as a facsimile apparatus, an e-mail address, or the like. The point of presence facility converts the received facsimile data to an alternative format; the data is then re-transmitted by the point of presence facility to the intended recipient""s address or to a remote point of presence facility proximate the intended recipient. If the transmission is not directly to the recipient""s address, the remote point of presence facility subsequently re-transmits the facsimile data to the address. Typically, such xe2x80x9clast milexe2x80x9d transmission may be over telephone lines, as a conventional facsimile transmission to the recipient""s facsimile reception apparatus. When delivered, an appropriate confirmation signal may be provided to the sender.
The transmission between the point of presence facilities can be over any appropriate communication system. In addition, the point of presence facilities may have the capability of converting the facsimile data to other formats as may be requested by the sender or intended recipient to facilitate ultimate receipt and use.